


Rogues' Honor

by ren (renegadewriter)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2012-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-04 08:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/391706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renegadewriter/pseuds/ren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vandal tries to recruit the Pied Piper for his mind controlling powers. The Rogues are not amused. Fill to a yj_anon_meme prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rogues' Honor

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt:
> 
> _"In Auld Acquaintance, Vandal Savage says they (the Light) tried every conceivable kind of mind control-, except they never had Pied Piper, now did they?_
> 
> _So I want a fic of the Light coming to the Rogues to offer Hartley a job, and the Rogues blowing them off ("Hahahahaha, no. Now GTFO") "_
> 
> Original Prompt can be found [**HERE.**](http://yj-anon-meme.livejournal.com/6185.html?thread=19935017#t19935017)
> 
> Can also be found on [**FFNet**](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8730811/1/) and [**LJ**](http://muse-refuge.livejournal.com/7877.html)
> 
>  **EDITED:** November 23, 2012

Hartley blinked.

"Excuse me, what?"

Squished in the middle of the small booth, to his right, Heat Wave tensed, Boomerang on his left sat up straight looking shaper and sober than he had all day.

Trickster had gone quiet, looking up at the big man that had spoken with uncertainty and shifted closer to Heat Wave. Next to him, Mirror Master stared at the newcomer with a frown, the hand around his glass slowly going under the table, subtly grabbing his gun, finger ready on the trigger.  

Across from him, Cold finished gulping down his beer, lowering the bottle back on the table with fake gentleness and a deceptive calmness, looking indifferent at the whole thing.  

"I am here to offer you a job, I am sure a master at mind control would find it a big improvement to go from petty theft to controlling the most powerful minds of all." Vandal - that's the name the smiling man had introduced himself as- repeated sweetly. 

Piper only blinked. He was usually more eloquent than this, smarter, with a quick mind only those that have fought the Flash possessed. But the sudden appearance of this man, his offer, his _plans_ ... he could not be serious.   

"He's not interested."  

For the first time, Vandal's face held a hint of a frown as he turned to face Cold. Hard eyes stared up at him, lips in a thin line and openly radiating annoyance as his presence; the like of which Vandal had never received from a lowly being such as the sorry excuse for a villain. It… _irked_ him.   

"Forgive me, " He started, his usual mocking politeness strained - something that did not sit well with Vandal, he was, after all, in control of the situation and was by far a superior being. " but it is not you whom I address _Captain_. Now-"  

The Rogues felt Piper tense as those eyes, which had been previously calm, almost kind and inviting - now piercing and cruel meet his again.  

"The Light offers you a prestigious position in our midst. We require your magnificent talents to take control of the League. It-"

"Take control of the _entire_ League?" Mick interrupted with a snort. Vandal had to refrain himself from outright glaring. "You're insane."   

"Oh?" This was something he could use to his advantage. "Do you doubt the abilities of your fellow Rogue? Perhaps you think he will not be able to pull it off? How does that make you feel Piper?" The green clad villain looked at him blankly. "To have your gifts doubted so much, to be tied up with these lesser villains. They cage your talents, keep you back from achieving greatness."  He was in full swing now, just a few more jabs to his pride here and there, and the man would not be able to refuse his offer. What kind of villain would? To be offered what every super-villain wanted on a silver plater: the complete defeat of the Justice League.  

"Are you done yet mate? Yer starting ta bore me with your little speech." Captain Koala or some other ridiculous name spoke, his elbows resting on the back of the booth, arms dangling, head tilted to the side in a lazy manner.  

Vandal took a deep breath, clasped hands behind his back clenching into fists. He could tear the heads off of every person in the room so _easily_. Maybe he would attempt it, even if such worthless blood on his hands was beneath him.   

"Piper." He called ignoring Digger, ready to offer once more before a voice interrupted him. 

"Flash won't like it." 

Savage turned his head slowly to the stare at the youngest of the group, the boy's uniform was murder to his eyes, and he had to mentally repeat the ridiculous words that had left his mouth to make sure he had heard right. 

" _Flash_ -" He spat the name, observing how the room seemed to darken at the undisguised insult. What was wrong with these people? "-won't have a choice." 

"What about Kid Flash?" Mirror Master asked, now not even bothering to be subtle about pointing his gun at the Savage under the table.  

"That little excuse for a speedster?" He shrugged, remembering the brief encounter with the boy. "The plan is for the children to share their mentors' fate, but knowing how troublesome they are, they will most likely be disposed of."  

Cold's hand twitched around his beer.  

"Now Piper, what is your answer?" He was getting impatient, and wanted to leave the dirty little bar once and for all. Forget that he had to hold himself back in the presence of these pitiful men that dared to call themselves villains. Maybe once Piper was well adjusted into the Light, he would enjoy coming back and destroy them. 

The flute master had a determined face, and made to speak, before Captain Cold interrupted. 

"His answer's no. Now, get lost." 

Vandal snarled, taking a step forward. In an instant, Heatwave, Boomerang, and Mirror Master were standing, each pointing their weapons at him. Savage threw his head back and laughed.

"You really think you could take me on?" He shook his head disappointedly.  

"One way to find out scarface." Mick sneered, finger itching to pull the trigger. 

**_Who did this guy think he was?_ **

"We don't have to beat you, just make you go far far away." Mirror Master said calmly.  

 ** _Intruding into Rogue territory and making such demands…._**  

"A few sharp objects under your skin here and there wouldn't hurt." Boomerang added. 

**_How dare this man, dressed all fancy with his battle scars so proudly displayed on his face, think he could lure one of them, a_ Central City Rogue _away to take down the League…._**  

"Listen here, you pompous bastard." Len added standing up as well, his calm gone. "Piper isn't going anywhere with you. We won't let him go to his death." He snorted. "You really think you can control the League forever? Piper is strong, but the League, and those troublesome kids are stubborn and eventually, your little empire will fall. Trust me when I say that when that happens, Piper won't be anywhere near to take the heat. So take a walk."  

The rest of the Rogues, and the usual patrons of the bar fell silent. There were smirks on some of the customer's faces, someone at the back even muttered a 'hear hear'.  

Before Vandal could finish thinking of the best way to kill Cold, Piper stood up with an exasperated sigh. 

"Mr. Vandal Savage." 

Vandal ignored his desire to squeeze the life out of every person in the bar with his bare hands in favor of the acknowledging Hartley, he knew Piper would see reason, no one would put off a chance like this, specially after his 'comrades' had undermined his independence and abilities.  

"Forgive my fellow Rogues. They have spoken in my name when I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself." The leader of the Light started to smile. "That being said. Please remove yourself from my presence and never set foot in Central again. As Captain Cold has said, I do not wish to incur the wrath of the League. So, although I am usually more formal… I believe the expression is... get lost."  

Vandal's nostrils flared, hands clenched into fists, teeth grinding. He could not believe what he was hearing. 

"Yes my gifts as you so eloquently put it, are strong enough to control the League and by extension, control your 'Light' group and…" Piper smiled widely, expression smug. "-control _you_."  

Savage lunged himself at Piper, but Hartley already had his flute between his lips.  

A note echoed in the room.  

Vandal couldn't move.  

 ** _There was also something they could not forgive...._**  

"One more thing." Hartley said sweetly. The Rogues had gotten out of the booth so Hartley could get out. He stood in front of a frozen Savage, flanked by the rest of the Rogues.  

Leaning in, Hartley’s usually calm persona turned dark as he sneered. " _Never_ insult or threaten Flash or Kid Flash. Only Rogues have that honor."   

The flute was in his mouth again. 

Notes played, and everything went dark. 

 

**0000000000000000**

 

Vandal’s last concious thought was how soothing the notes that left Piper’s flute sounded, washing  over him, his eyelids heavy.  

Piper’s face, the smug looks on the rest of the Rogues’ faces was the last thing he saw, the scene suddenly replaced by a much more open space, the stench of rotten food, burning trash and other putrid smells he would rather never identify filled his nostrils. Mountains of trash surrounded him, scavenger birds flew over him, the rats with wings picking at the garbage bags without mercy.  

A small ‘squish’ had him staring down at his feet in horror. His legs were half buried in waste,  the filthy water soaking through the expensive material of his pants. 

Rage filled him. How _dare_ that mind controlling freak leave him in such a place! 

Every step he took toward drier land, but by no means cleaner, had him shuddering in disgust, fueling him to take revenge, his keen mind coming up with various forms of torture he could perform on the...

He stopped.  

Mind controlling.... Vandal grabbed his head in confusion. Suddenly, it was like he couldn’t remember who the person with the flute was, nor the people surrounding him. Where... where had he gone to before this? For what purpose?  

Shaking his head, rage replaced by confusion and a splitting headache, he stepped onto the a small island in the middle of the garbage dump.  

How could this happen? Where _was_ he.

An image suddenly filled his mind, causing him to grab his head. A man in green; the vision was blurry, but he could hear the words perfectly.  

_“Don’t mess with us, you’re not all powerful Savage. Here is a small sample of just how insignificant you are. I hope you enjoy your stay.”_

He shook... the birds above him flew in search of more food indifferent to his presence, their cries seeming to mock him, their waste landing on his suit the last insult to his person. 

Vandal screamed in rage.

 

**000000000000000000**

 

“Can you _believe_ the nerve-”  

“Yes Piper, we heard you the first time.” 

“He wanted to hurt out Baby Flash! We should lock him in a room full of snot so he won’t be able to move and get into any more trouble!” 

“Shut up Trickster!” 

“Take over the League’s mind. Bah! Possible? Yes. Smart? Hell no!”  

“I can’t believe we did a solid for Flash and the Kid.”

“Hey, this is Rogue city, and those two are _our_ enemies. Only _we_ get to kill them. Vandal can go f-”  

“Language!” 

“You _did_ make sure he didn’t remember any of us right?”  

“Yes. Why, sacred?”

“That guy has a reputation! And from what I’ve been hearing, this Light group is a million times worse than the injustice League, you really want to mess with them?”

“I can’t take a super-villain group called 'The Light' seriously.”

“Taking a Rogue out of Central. What an idiot.”

“Sooooo does this mean we’re not going to tell Flash about this little incident?” 

The Rogues turned their eyes to stare at Heat Wave who slouched in his seat, hands held up in a surrendering manner. They had resumed their positions in the booth, beer bottles littering the table, poker chips in the middle as each held a couple of cards in their hands. 

“Flash is a big boy. If he can’t get out of this one then he doesn’t deserve to be Central’s hero and our enemy.” Captain Cold said sharply. 

“But our Baby!” Trickster whined. 

“The Kid will be fine. It’s not like they’re going to succeed.” Sam said dispassionately. 

Digger snorted, swaying in his seat, eyes squinting at his cards. “Yeah, what’s the worse that could happen?” 

Everyone grunted I agreement.

 

 

 

**FIN**

 

**000000000000**

 


End file.
